US1674449A - Rotary internal-combustion engine - Google Patents

Description

June 19,1928; 1,674,449

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ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Now 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 19, 1928. 1,674,449

, A. M. RIGGS ROTARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Nov. 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 19, 1928.

' AsntnY 11:. areas, or HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed November 24, 1925. Serial No. 71,075.

' shaft and its bearings and to effect reduction of vibration.

A still further object is to structurally improve, simplify and render more practical the structure disclosed in-United States Letters Patent No. 1,225,056, granted jointly to Lewis \V. Riggs and myself on the 8th day of May, 1917.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is herein had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a transverse sectional elevation of the invention, the section being taken substantially on line 11, Fig. 2;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken substantially on line 22, Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is an outer face view of a cornpression head;

Figure 4 is a cross section on line-4-4, Fig. 3;

Figure 5 is a lateral edge View of the compression head; a

Figure 6 is a partial detailed section of a fragmentary portioniof the rotor;

' Figure 7 is a section on line 7-7. Fig. 6;

Figure 8 is an inner face elevation of a fragmentary portion of one of the pistoncarried rings, showing the sealing blade:

Figure 9 is a section on line 9-9, Fig. 8; and

Figure 10 is a detail section showing the relative positions of the parts at, or slightly in advance of, the firing point.

Referring to said drawings, 1 indicates the outer wall of a hollow casing or cylinder 50 which has heads 2 and 3 rigidly mounted upon its opposite ends, said heads having formed therein suitable centrally located bearings in which is journaled a rotor shaft 4. Keyed upon said shaft within said cylinder 1 is the hub portion 5 of a rotary piston,

or rotor, which comprises an outer body portion (5, substantially circular in form, and two circular facing rings 7 and 8"which are rigidly attached to opposite sides of said form cam surfaces, the, urpose of which will be explained hereina ter; and the ring 8 has 1ts outer face forming a close joint with said cam.

The piston body 6, which is preferably formed in one piece,-has therein a plurality of external pockets 11 of substantially triangular form arranged at equi-distant intervals, four such pockets being embodied in the structure herein illustrated; and fitted for oscillating movements in each pocket is a compression head 12 which comprises a wall 12' having its outer face curved to adapt it for seating closely against the cylinder wall 1 when occupying its extreme outward position, and a forward end wall 12 which i extends inwardly in a substantially radial direction and which is movable in closely seated joint-forming relation to the front wall 13 of said pocket. Said wall 12 is made of materially less length, radially considered, than the depth of the front end of the pocket, so that the compression head'is allowed a considerable range of oscillatory movement in said pocket. A bolt or pivotpin 15 is carried by the piston body adjacent to the rear end of each pocket 11, the hole 16 within which said pivot-pin is seated being in open communication throughout its length with the pocket, thus presenting within said end of the pocket somewhat less than one-half the peripheral surface of the pivot-pin. The rear end of the wall 12 of the compression head has therein a shallow undercut channel or groove 17 having a curvature corresponding to the peripheral curvature of the pivot-pin; Thus, in the oscillating movement of "the compression head, the rear end of the latter rides upon and is supported by said pivot-pin.

The front end wall 13 of the pocket 11 is curved, the curve being struck orrthe radius of a circle having as its center the pivot-pin 15, and the front wall 12 of the compression head is correspondingly curved, so that a close fitting relation is at all times maintained between said. walls.

, follow the tortuous path provided by." the v Each compression head is formed of two y extending sections disposed inner edge of one section having therein a groove 18 within which is received a tongue 19' formed on the adjacent edge of the other section; and disposed in sockets 20 provided therefor at the bottom of said groove are compression springs 22 which yieldingly bear against the rib for maintainlng said sections in relatively separated or expanded position so that their outer lateral edges bear against and ride upon .the adjacent faces of the rings 7 and 8 and the faces of ring segments 23 which are carried by said I rings. 'Said segments are mounted in recesses 24 provlded' therefor 1n the inner faces of said rings at points located laterally of the pockets and have their inner edges resting upon small compression springs 25 which act to maintain them yieldingly thrust outward with their outer edges in close sealing relation to the cylinder walll.

Carried by the forward end wall 12 of the compression head is a laterally directed pin26 which extends outward through a substantially radial slot 27 provided therefor in the ring-8. The outer end portion' of said pin rides upon theperipheral surface of the cam ring 10. 'A retractile coil spring 28 is interposed between the under side of the forward end portion of the compression head 12 and the piston body at a suitable point within the pocket .11. Thus, said compression head isnormally held under yielding tension in an inwar y drawn position in which the pin'261is -maintained permanently in seated relation to the cam ring 10, causing the pin co'nfo-rmably to peripheral surface of said ring.

Provided in the cylinder 'wall 1 at diametrically opposite points are ports 29 through which are admitted charges of the explosive gases-or mixtures employed; and

mounted in said wall at diametrically oppo-- site points located at anglesof approximately ninety degrees with respect to said,

intake ports 29 are spark plugs 30 through which the admitted charges are fired electrically for-driving the piston.

As each compression head approaches one of the intake ports 29, the guide pin 26 carried thereby rides upon an elevated surface 10 of the cam ring, holding the compression head in close engagement with the cylinder wall 1. Immediately prior to reaching such port, said pin rides down an abrupt incline 10 to a relatively lower surface 10 of said cam ring in which the compression head, actuated by its spring 28, is

lowered to its greatest extent with respect to said cylinder wall. In the lowering movel ment a. suction is created which,'in the interval of passing said port, results in filling with the explosive mixture the portion of the pocket exterior to said compression head. Having passed such intake port, the com pression head is gradually elevated, the guide pin riding up an inclined surface 10 of the cam ring for effecting such elevation of the compression head. In suchelevating movement, the admitted charge is compressed into'an auxiliary pocket 31 of relativel small capacity which is located in fron of and in ofi'set relation to the front endof the pocket 11, as shown in Figs. 1 and 10. As the piston assumes a posltion in which said auxiliary pocket 31 is disposed in open communication with the opening or socket 32 in which the spark plug 30 is mounted, the uide pin 26 starts to move inwardover a s arply inclined surface 10 of the cam ring. Atthis point in the operation, or with the parts occupying substantially the positions shown in Fig. 10, thefacing wall which receives the impact of the explosion- In said position, the resistance head has the frontend portion thereof firmly seated upon the outer surface of the compression head 12,being actuated to said position by a compression spring 35 which has suitable connection, as through a link 36, with said resistance head. Rigidly mounted 'upon the-exterior of the cylinder wall 1 in closing relationto the aperture 34 is a plate-like member 37 having a socketed portion 38 within which said spring 35 is seated, as shown.

The resistance head 33 comprises a platelike body portion which is movable into and out of the aperture 34 and which is pivoted at its rear end upon a'transverse bolt or pivot pin 39. Formed integral with the front end portion of said body is an outwardly extending blade portion 33 which is exposed to the impact of the explosions and which serves to resist the rearwardly directed force of the latter. With movements of the resistance head said blade portion 33 moves into and-out of a guide-' sistance head 33 is held in its outwardlythrust position except in the intervals in which compression heads 12 passing thereunder occupy lowered positions, in which intervals it isv actuated by its spring 35 to follow the lowering movements of the compression heads. As is obvious, return, or outward, movement of said resistance head is gradually effected as the depressed compression head advances from thereunder.

Following the explosion of the compressed gases, the wrist pin 26 continues to the foot of the inclined surface 10", whence it immediately begins ascent of a gradually inclined cam surface 10 for effecting clevation of the compression head 12 against the cylinder wall 1, thereby gradually to force the spent gases outward through an exhaust port 45 provided at an appropriate point in the cylinder wall in advance of the position of the spark plug 30.-

Suitable means are provided for preventing leakage of gases rearward of the compression heads 12, as transversely disposed radially movable scavenging blades 41 seated in channels42 of the piston upon small compression springs 4-3. Similar means, as spring pressed blades 44, are located directly in front of each auxiliary pocket 31, as shown.

It will be noted that, as shown in the drawings, four compression heads are employed on the piston, and that each head is actuated twice in each rotation of the rotor to admit and compress charges of gas which are fired at diametrically opposite sides of the cylinder. Consequently, eight power impulses are delivered, two at a time, in each rotation of the rotor.

What is claimed is I 1. A rotary explosion engine comprising a cylinder having heads mounted upon opposite ends thereof, a cam ring'carried by one of said cylinder heads, a substantially cylindrical piston rotatable within said cylinder, rings rigidly carried on opposite ends of said piston and having their peripheries engaging the cylinder walls, said piston havinga plurality of pockets in its'periphery between the last mentioned rings, said rings having therein recesses located laterally of said pockets, spring pressed ring segments 1n said recesses, a compression head pivotally mounted within each of said pockets and movable to and from seating relationto the cylinder walls, a laterally extending wristpin carried by each compression head, resilient means holding each compression head in a position wherein its wrist-pin rides upon said cam ring, the adjacent pistoncarried ring having substantially radial slots through which said wrist-pins are directed and in which said pins are movable, and resistance heads carried by the cylinder for cooperating with said compression head.

2. A rotary explosion engine comprising a cylinder having heads mounted upon oppositeends thereof, a'cam ring carried by from seating relation to the cylinder walls,

a laterally extending wrist-pin carried by eachcompression head, said cam ring being shaped peripherally to actuate said compression heads through said wrist-pins to move outward at timed intervals, the adjacent piston carried ring having therein slots in which said wrist-pins have movement, tension means tending to maintain each compression head in inwardly drawn position, and resistance heads carried by the cylinder and movable into said pockets for cooperating with said compression heads.

3. A rotary explosion engine comprising a cylindrical casing having inlet and exhaust ports therethrough and provided with diametrically opposite apertures, a member mounted on said casing in closing relation to each of said apertures, a pivoted resistance head in each of said apertures and movable into and out of the interior of said casing, a piston rotatable within said cyl inder and having a lurality of pockets formed in its perip ery, spring-pressed radially movable seating members carried by said piston at opposite sides of said pockets, a compression head pivotally mounted in each of said pockets and movable into and out of seated relation to the walls of said casing, a cam ring fixed interiorly of one end of the cylinder, wrist-pins carried by said compression heads, resilient means constantly maintaining said compression heads in positions wherein their wrist-pins follow the contour of the periphery of said ring, and resilient means foractuating said resistance heads to follow the movements of said compression heads as the latter pass under the former.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

ASHLEY M. RIGGS.

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